diff --git a/src/backend/base.js b/src/backend/base.js
index caf317f9..94ab7fb1 100644
--- a/src/backend/base.js
+++ b/src/backend/base.js
@@ -14,29 +14,41 @@ this.recline.Backend = this.recline.Backend || {};
     return model.backend.sync(method, model, options);
   }
 
-  // ## wrapInTimeout
-  // 
-  // Crude way to catch backend errors
-  // Many of backends use JSONP and so will not get error messages and this is
-  // a crude way to catch those errors.
-  my.wrapInTimeout = function(ourFunction) {
-    var dfd = $.Deferred();
-    var timeout = 5000;
-    var timer = setTimeout(function() {
-      dfd.reject({
-        message: 'Request Error: Backend did not respond after ' + (timeout / 1000) + ' seconds'
-      });
-    }, timeout);
-    ourFunction.done(function(arguments) {
-        clearTimeout(timer);
-        dfd.resolve(arguments);
-      })
-      .fail(function(arguments) {
-        clearTimeout(timer);
-        dfd.reject(arguments);
-      })
-      ;
-    return dfd.promise();
-  }
+  // ## recline.Backend.Base
+  //
+  // Base class for backends providing a template and convenience functions.
+  // You do not have to inherit from this class but even when not it does provide guidance on the functions you must implement.
+  my.Base = Backbone.Model.extend({
+    sync: function(method, model, options) {
+    },
+    query: function(model, queryObj) {
+    },
+
+    // ## _wrapInTimeout
+    // 
+    // Convenience method providing a crude way to catch backend errors on JSONP calls.
+    // Many of backends use JSONP and so will not get error messages and this is
+    // a crude way to catch those errors.
+    _wrapInTimeout: function(ourFunction) {
+      var dfd = $.Deferred();
+      var timeout = 5000;
+      var timer = setTimeout(function() {
+        dfd.reject({
+          message: 'Request Error: Backend did not respond after ' + (timeout / 1000) + ' seconds'
+        });
+      }, timeout);
+      ourFunction.done(function(arguments) {
+          clearTimeout(timer);
+          dfd.resolve(arguments);
+        })
+        .fail(function(arguments) {
+          clearTimeout(timer);
+          dfd.reject(arguments);
+        })
+        ;
+      return dfd.promise();
+    }
+  });
+
 }(jQuery, this.recline.Backend));
 
diff --git a/src/backend/dataproxy.js b/src/backend/dataproxy.js
index 45abc89a..e2ddb767 100644
--- a/src/backend/dataproxy.js
+++ b/src/backend/dataproxy.js
@@ -16,7 +16,7 @@ this.recline.Backend = this.recline.Backend || {};
   // * format: (optional) csv | xls (defaults to csv if not specified)
   //
   // Note that this is a **read-only** backend.
-  my.DataProxy = Backbone.Model.extend({
+  my.DataProxy = my.Base.extend({
     defaults: {
       dataproxy_url: 'http://jsonpdataproxy.appspot.com'
     },
@@ -47,7 +47,7 @@ this.recline.Backend = this.recline.Backend || {};
         , dataType: 'jsonp'
       });
       var dfd = $.Deferred();
-      my.wrapInTimeout(jqxhr).done(function(results) {
+      this._wrapInTimeout(jqxhr).done(function(results) {
         if (results.error) {
           dfd.reject(results.error);
         }
diff --git a/src/backend/elasticsearch.js b/src/backend/elasticsearch.js
index 78e27af6..5668202c 100644
--- a/src/backend/elasticsearch.js
+++ b/src/backend/elasticsearch.js
@@ -19,7 +19,7 @@ this.recline.Backend = this.recline.Backend || {};
   // localhost:9200 with index twitter and type tweet it would be
   //
   // <pre>http://localhost:9200/twitter/tweet</pre>
-  my.ElasticSearch = Backbone.Model.extend({
+  my.ElasticSearch = my.Base.extend({
     _getESUrl: function(dataset) {
       var out = dataset.get('elasticsearch_url');
       if (out) return out;
@@ -39,7 +39,7 @@ this.recline.Backend = this.recline.Backend || {};
             dataType: 'jsonp'
           });
           var dfd = $.Deferred();
-          my.wrapInTimeout(jqxhr).done(function(schema) {
+          this._wrapInTimeout(jqxhr).done(function(schema) {
             // only one top level key in ES = the type so we can ignore it
             var key = _.keys(schema)[0];
             var fieldData = _.map(schema[key].properties, function(dict, fieldName) {
diff --git a/src/backend/gdocs.js b/src/backend/gdocs.js
index ff2c6444..63ce2eb7 100644
--- a/src/backend/gdocs.js
+++ b/src/backend/gdocs.js
@@ -16,7 +16,7 @@ this.recline.Backend = this.recline.Backend || {};
   //   'gdocs'
   // );
   // </pre>
-  my.GDoc = Backbone.Model.extend({
+  my.GDoc = my.Base.extend({
     getUrl: function(dataset) {
       var url = dataset.get('url');
       if (url.indexOf('feeds/list') != -1) {
diff --git a/src/backend/memory.js b/src/backend/memory.js
index be86c936..97b585e0 100644
--- a/src/backend/memory.js
+++ b/src/backend/memory.js
@@ -69,7 +69,7 @@ this.recline.Backend = this.recline.Backend || {};
   //  dataset.fetch();
   //  etc ...
   //  </pre>
-  my.Memory = Backbone.Model.extend({
+  my.Memory = my.Base.extend({
     initialize: function() {
       this.datasets = {};
     },